Fort Worth passes partial smoking ban (Dallas, Howe: plumbers, deal, baptists)

[quitter1/11/09]

I don't want to stop anyone from smoking, just not in an enclosed place. What is wrong with that? We can no longer smoke in an office bldg, retail store, most restaurants. Why is smoking in bars so important? Because its the last place left? I don't care what you do at home, in your car, in your yard or on the street. I just feel that people that don't want to be around it should have the right to try to prevent it.
That is what America was built on, voicing your opinion and if enough people voice their opinion and change the laws then so be it. Start a "SMOKING EVERYWHERE" commitee if you want, I am not stopping you.

[quitter1/11/09]

No, I am not blaming anyone at all, smoking is a perfectly legal habit. I just think that if the laws have changed for every public place EXCEPT bars then whats the freedom you are loosing? To drink and smoke? I don't think the founding fathers fought for your right to smoke and drink at the same time. Also I think that the Pursuit of Happiness was not meant to include smoking.

Many Texas cities have passed this law and lived and done well.

I do not in any way want to argue with anyone about this, I am not on a soapbox, I am just voicing my opinion, which is in the bill of rights, I believe.

[Guingirl]

Originally Posted by quitter1/11/09

No, I am not blaming anyone at all, smoking is a perfectly legal habit. I just think that if the laws have changed for every public place EXCEPT bars then whats the freedom you are loosing? To drink and smoke? I don't think the founding fathers fought for your right to smoke and drink at the same time. Also I think that the Pursuit of Happiness was not meant to include smoking.

Many Texas cities have passed this law and lived and done well.

I do not in any way want to argue with anyone about this, I am not on a soapbox, I am just voicing my opinion, which is in the bill of rights, I believe.

No one on here is saying that you can't voice your opinion, but as you said, it was your opinion. You don't have much to worry about anyway. I feel that things are going to get a lot more restrictive on a great many things and then we will all be suffering. We just won't be able to do much about it.

Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it.

Anyway - cheers!

[beowulf7]

Within a few months, Dallas will ban smoking, even at bars and clubs. (I can't wait.) I'm sure FW is going to watch how that turns out in terms of business revenue. If it goes well, like it has in other cities and states that have banned smoking (e.g. Austin, NY, NJ, CA, etc.), then I'd think FW will follow suit.

BTW, if restaurant revenues have gone down since smoking was banned as of 1/1/08, don't blame it on the smoking ban. Blame it on the bad economy. Even restaurants that allow smoking in other cities have seen decrease in revenue over the past year.

quitter, I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your mother.

[quitter1/11/09]

beowulf7, thanks for your concern.

I am 48 yrs old and want to never smoke again, smoking is not a God given right. Its a filthy nasty health stealing habit that harms everyone it comes in contact with. I liked being able to smoke in a bar and it pissed me off when I couldn't but wow you learn to live with it. If you enjoy smoking then its your right to do it by all means, but its not something that you can contain, the smoke reaches out around you and disturbs others. People party hardy in cities where smoking is prohibited in bars everyday, they just have to smoke on the patio or outside the establishment, big deal. I hope someday we all can breath a little easier EVERYWHERE we go.

Do you know how stinky cigarrette smoke is? You don't ever think about it until you quit....man it stinks.

I know "a reformed smoker is worse than a non smoker" but thank God I am (cross my fingers and toes) a reformed smoker. Hope to be for the rest of my life.

Quitter

[Pauline England]

I am from England, now living in Fort Worth, the smoking ban came out over 3 years ago, this has affected bars greatly, before we left so many bars closed down, jobs lost, recession getting worse.
I believe (as a smoker) to be considerate to non smokers, however I am a great believer of having smoking bars and non smoking bars, giving people the choice. I have been to a few bars in Fort Worth and the busiest bars are the smoking bars. Look at the jobs that will be lost!

As for health, I am not saying smoking is good for you, however my experience, my Grandmother died in her late 40's, never smoked or drank, my Mother whom is now 82 has smoked all her life. I lost 3 friends with other health problems, did not smoke, died at 32. I do believe in fate when it is time to go


We all walk down the street, taking in fumes from cars and other pollution.

I believe strongly we should have a choice.

[Corbyesmommie08]

I am a former smoker and think a smoking ban is a good choice, I am from Iowa they just passed a smoking ban there last summer and opened a line for people that want to quit smoking that has been very successful, my employer when we lived there also offered to help people quit smoking by offering patches and the such. I also belive that people that smoke should be able to they made the choice but people that dont' smoke shouldn't have to sit there and smell it with their families and babies while they eat their meals and have a nice time out. Desginate a smoking area for bars like beer gardens, or just deal with the smoke where you are, we all have choices....

[scarmig]

Just as smoking is a choice you make about your private property, so is whether to allow smoking a choice for a business owner. Business owners live and die by courting particular clientele so if they want to cater to smokers, the only responsibility they have to society is to post a sign so that people can choose whether or not to enter.

Freedom is important. That includes the freedom to make unpopular, or even "bad" decisions.

[FearlessLeader]

When will smokers realize they are clumped into the loser demographic? Compare for yourself. Think of 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers you know. Which group is overloaded with losers? Smokers are too stupid to realize that if they quit spewing stench, they are much more likely to stop being pathetic losers.

The question is do smokers smoke because they are losers or are they losers because they smoke?
I think smokers are always perceived to be losers, thus they are less likely to succeed in a world where non-smokers/non-losers control the money.

People are reporting Obama reneged on his campaign pledge of no new tax on Americans earning $250K/year or less when he signed the new cigarette tax. My guess is that 99.99% of smokers make less than $250K/year. Quoting one article "This is one tax that disproportionately affects the poor, who are more likely to smoke than the rich." Some official stats: 34% of the lowest-income Americans smoke, compared with only 13% of those earning $90,000 or more per year.

So if you smokers want to stay losers, keep smoking and paying outrageous consumption taxes or wake up and smell the stench and come over to the winners side.

[scarmig]

Great idea FearlessLeader!

Let's try that same denouncement on some other people and see how it works:

When will Baptists realize they are clumped into the loser demographic? Compare for yourself. Think of 10 Baptists and 10 non-Baptists you know. Which group is overloaded with losers? Baptists are too stupid to realize that if they quit spewing stench, they are much more likely to stop being pathetic losers.

Look kids, bigotry is fun!

Let's try another one:

When will Plumbers realize they are clumped into the loser demographic? Compare for yourself. Think of 10 Plumbers and 10 non-Plumbers you know. Which group is overloaded with losers? Plumbers are too stupid to realize that if they quit spewing stench, they are much more likely to stop being pathetic losers.

Needless to say Fearless, your bigoted rant doesn't present "your side" as very reasonable. Please post more like this.